Hilo Community Players proudly announce the cast for the 35th Annual Shakespeare in the Park as follows:

The Royal Family

• King Edward The Fourth………………………………….. Kalani Spain
• Elizabeth, Queen to King Edward IV………………………Laura Caswell
• Duchess of York, Mother to King Edward IV…………….Cathy McPherson

Young Sons to the King and Queen

• Edward, Prince of Wales……………………………….…Anthony Rosario
• Richard, Duke of York………………………..……………Bella Freedman

Family to Queen Elizabeth

• Earl Rivers, Brother ………………………………………Stephen Freedman
• Marquis of Dorset, son……………………………….……Kait Wilson
• Lord Grey, son……………………………………………..Jin Piper

Brothers to the King and their family

• Richard, Duke of Gloucester,  King Richard III…………Nathan Yocum
• George, Duke of Clarence…………………….…………Randal McEndree
• A young Daughter of Clarence [Margaret Plantagenet]…Mahina Hoolahan
• A young son of Clarence…………………………………Ben Chance

Entourage of Richard, Duke of Gloucester

• Duke of Buckingham…………………………………….Rob Hunt
• Sir William Catesby……………………………………..Ian Schroeder
• Lord Hastings……………………………………………Jake McPherson
• Lord Stanley,  Earl of Derby………………………….…Saul Rollason
• Sir Richard Ratcliff…………………………….………..Sydney Wilson
• Duke of Norfolk ……………………………………..…John Kooistra
  • Earl of Surrey, His son………………………………….Angela Nakamura
  • Murderer #1…………………………………………..…Leslie Kelly
  • Murderer #2 & Sir James Tyrrel ……………………….Peter Veseskis

The Royal Ladies:

• Margaret, Widow of King Henry VI………………….. Soraya-Elena Perez
• Lady Anne, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales…..…..Keala Richard
• Ladies-in-Waiting & Singers:

Karla Ahn, Bren Chance, Dickie Motherwell,  Evette Tampos

• Lady in Waiting to the Duchess of York…………….Margaret (Peggy) Russo
• Tressel & Berkley (masked)……………………Sydney Wilcox, Blesson Allen

Entourage of Henry, Earl of Richmond

• Henry, Earl of Richmond ……………………..….Blesson Allen
• Sir James Blunt…………………….……………..Randal McEndree
• Sir Walter Herbert………………………………. Stephen Freedman
• Earl of Oxford………………..…………………. Jake McPherson

The Clergy:

• Cardinal & Archbishop………………..……..…… Wolf Daniel Braun
• Bishop of Ely……………………………………….Kalani Spain
• Christopher Urswick, A priest………………………Scott Kester

Londoners:

• Lord Mayor of London…………………………………..Scott Kester
• Sir Robert Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower  & Sheriff of Wiltshire:

…………………………………..…………………… Brian McMichael

• Citizen #1, London Merchant, & Messenger #1- Iris McPherson
• Citizen #2, London Merchant, & Messenger #2 – Denyse Woo-Ockerman
• Citizen #3, London Merchant, & Messenger #3 – Leah Wilson
• Pursuivant – Denyse Woo-Ockerman
• Scrivener & London Merchant – Iris McPherson

London Street Urchins: 

Leilani Alvarado, Kyra Bockrath, Crescent Chance, Vision Datanca, Haley Parr

Please, send an email confirming you accept your role to jakemcpherson@gmail.com.

Congratulations to the cast. We would like to thank everyone who came to auditions. There were some difficult decisions, because there were so many excellent auditions. Thank you, all.

The first read-through has yet to be determined.

Auditions scheduled for Hilo Community Players’ Shakespeare in the Park

The Hilo Community Players announce auditions for the 35^th annual production of Shakespeare in the Park.  Richard III will be directed by Jackie Pualani Johnson, co-founder of the outdoor offerings and drama professor at UH Hilo.  Auditions will be held on Friday, May 4^th, at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 5^th, at 10:00 a.m. at the East Hawai’i Cultural Center Annex.

The play centers on Shakespeare’s notorious Duke of Gloucester, the deformed, manipulative villain who rises to power in England in the late 1400s, to become Richard III.  Numerous actors are needed for the tragedy focusing on the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, including the title role of  the sometimes charming, but unquestionably evil King Richard.

Shakespeare’s play includes substantial roles for women: Elizabeth, Queen to King Edward IV; Margaret, Widow of King Henry VI; Duchess of York, Mother to King Edward IV; Lady Anne, Widow of Edward Prince of Wales, and a young Daughter of Clarence [Margaret Plantagenet].  Several children (circa age 10) are needed to create the roles of princes and princesses, along with at least 25 male actors, consisting of those devoted to Richard’s machinations and those on the other side of the battle field, loyal to Richmond.

Parents who are interested in having their children participate should bring their children at noon on Saturday, May 5^th,  to the East Hawai’i Cultural Center Annex to meet the director and discuss the anticipated commitment.

Show dates are the first 3 weekends in July.

For further information, contact:  jpjohnso@hawaii.edu.

It’s time for a ghostly Christmas story.

We all remember Scrooge, but do you remember the ghost who started it all? That was Scrooge’s dead partner, Jacob Marley. Please, join us for the fun of A Christmas Carol told by the ghosts!

When: Fridays and Saturdays, December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m. (The theater doors open at 7:00 p.m.) And Sundays, December 4 and 11 at 2:00 p.m. (The theater doors open at 1:30 p.m.)

Where: East Hawaii Cultural Center’s upstairs theater at 141 Kalakaua St. in downtown Hilo

Tickets: $5 for children 12 and under, $8 for EHCC and HCP members, and $10 general admission. Tickets are available at the door or by calling the EHCC box office at 961-5711

Are you ready for a ghostly Christmas? Hilo Community Players has put together a fine cast to bring you A Christmas Carol like you’ve never seen before. This is the story from the ghosts’ point of view!

Four of Hilo’s finest performers will bring 18 roles to life on the stage of the EHCC’s theater for you to enjoy from Dec. 2 to 17.

CHARACTERS

ACTOR 1: Mr. Pedro Kaawaloa

JACOB MARLEY

CHRISTMAS PAST

CHRISTMAS PRESENT

A BOY

YOUNG MARLEY

ACTOR 2: Ms. Jessica Dempsey

BOGLE

A LITTLE GIRL

ACTOR 3: Mr. Rob Hunt

SCROOGE

YOUNG SCROOGE

A DAMNED SOUL

ACTOR 4: Ms. Laura Caswell

RECORD KEEPER

FEZZIWIG

A DAMNED WOMAN

FRED

CRATCHIT

DICK WILKINS

MARLEY’S FATHER

THE SHADOW

AUDITIONS

FOR

HILO COMMUNITY PLAYERS’

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol

BY TOM MULA

When: Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: The Annex behind the East Hawaii Cultural Center at 141 Kalakaua St.across from King Kalakaua Park in downtown Hilo

Who: 4 actors to play 18 roles. Every actor will have multiple roles and mustdemonstrate the ability to change between roles. There will be a mixture of maleand female actors.

What: “Marley was dead, to begin with…”—and what happens to EbenezerScrooge’s mean, sour, pruney old business partner after that? Chained andshackled, Marley is condemned to a hellish eternity. He’s even given his ownprivate tormentor: a malicious little hell-sprite who thoroughly enjoys his work.Desperate, Marley accepts his one chance to free himself: To escape his ownchains, he must first redeem Scrooge. So begins a journey of laughter and terror,redemption and renewal, during which Scrooge’s heart, indeed, is opened; butnot before Marley—in this irreverent, funny and deeply moving story—discovershis own.

Rehearsals will begin with read-throughs the week following auditions.

Show dates are Friday and Saturday evenings

December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, and 17,

and there will be two Sunday matinees on

December 4 and 11.

For more information, contact Jake McPherson at jakemcpherson@gmail.com.

Congratulations to all the cast members of the 34th Annual Shakespeare in the Park. The Merchant of Venice promises to be a fun adventure for all. The director, Ms. Catherine McPherson, regrets that she was not able to cast everyone who came to auditions. There was a lot of extremely fine talent, but there are only so many roles.

As you read the list, please note that some actors have been cast in more than one role.

Portia:   Justine Thompson

Nerissa:   Laura Caswell

Balthazar:   Tara West

Stephano:   Alston Albarado

Morocco:   Jason Echavez

Arragon:   Kalani Spain

Antonio:   Rob Hunt

Bassanio:   Phillip Russell

Salanio:   Amy Jackson

Salarino:   Evette Tampos

Gratiano:   Jake McPherson

Lorenzo:   Jordan Ward

Leonardo:   Alston Albarado

Shylock:   Lewis Moore

Jessica:   Summer Campbell

Tubal:   Jason Echavez

Lancelet Gobbo:   Bella Freedman

Old Gobbo:   Scott Kester

Jailer:   Scott Kester

Duke:   Kalani Spain

Servant (2.9):   Cheyenne Tuggle

Clerk (4.1):   Katy Craine

Magnificoes:   Scott and  Alston

Servants:   Cheyenne and  Katy

Attendants:   Alston, Tara, and  Kalani

Can art come between friends?

That’s the question – and not the only question – raised in an award-winning one-act comedy called ‘ART,’ starring three of Hilo’s veteran actors.

When Serge [Jake McPherson] buys a modern painting that’s essentially all white, Marc [Saul Rollason] is astounded, calls it ‘a piece of [bleep]’ and wonders why his friend has spent a fortune on something so foolish.  Yvan [Steve Peyton] sees Marc’s point, but has always trusted Serge’s taste in modern art.  Things can only get worse!

‘ART,’ by Yasmina Reza, translated (from French) by Christopher Hampton, won Broadway’s highest honor in 1998 – the Tony Award for best play – after winning the equivalent – the Olivier Award –  for its London production in 1996.

‘ART’ will be presented by the Hilo Community Players over the first two weekends in March, in the upstairs theater at the East Hawaii Cultural Center (EHCC), which is also Hilo’s modern art gallery!  Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday March 4, 5, 11, and 12; with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on March 6 and 13.  All tickets are $10 (EHCC and HCP members pay $8).  The EHCC is at 141 Kalakaua St. – across from Kalakaua Park – in downtown Hilo.

For tickets, phone the EHCC Box Office at 935-9085.